I-Playaz
Volkswagen Beetle Ipod Speaker

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say that adding another iPod speaker system to the mix would be overkill is a
gross understatement, but when the sound machine is housed within a chromed-out
Volkswagen Beetle, we can't help but notice. For those who already ride dirty
in that pimped out shopping cart and rock that gold microprocessor around your
neck, Jada Toys' I-Playaz VW Beetle is sure to get your motor running. Sporting
brobdingnagian spinning rims, 3.5-millimeter audio input / audio output jacks
that double as an aftermarket exhaust system, built-in speakers, "multicolored
lights," and an on / off switch to flip those block rockin' beats on at a
moment's notice, this Chub City toy can shake, rattle, and roll to the rhythm
of your favorite cuts. The car "moves and shakes to the beat" when your
iPod (or DAP of choice) is pumping tunes through it, and there's even an built-in
jam in case you want to boast about your toy while the 'Pod recharges. Although
this isn't quite as fly as driving your riced-out Honda Civic around with a PSP,
the bling factor here is surprisingly high for just $29.99, ya heard?

Just
in time for the holidays comes the Chub City i-Playaz Volkswagen Beetle from Jada
Toys, a product which initially appears to be a simple replica car toy but turns
out to be much more. Plug an iPod into the tailpipe via the included stereo cable,
and the Beetle will flash its lights, show off its hydraulics, and even play the
iPod's music through its built-in speaker.

Powered
by four AA batteries which are secured by screws in its underside, the Beetle
flashes its front seat side windows in a recurring red-green-blue pattern as well
as its headlights and taillights. A toggle switch on the bottom makes the Beetle
capable of climbing up off its chassis and swaying its entire body from left to
right in a swooping motion. As with last year's i-dog from Tiger/Hasbro, the Beetle's
willingness to get up and dance is largely dependent on how beat-heavy the music
is that you feed it, although a small VW logo on the hood can be pressed in order
to set the hydraulics in motion no matter how gentle the music.

It
wouldn't be fair if the Beetle got to hear your iPod's music and you didn't, so
a small speaker inside the Beetle plays the music loudly enough to be heard from
several feet away. The audio quality can't hold a candle to the more expensive
iPod speaker systems regularly reviewed here on iProng, but nonetheless the audio
quality is more than good enough for these purposes and probably sounds better
than you'd expect from a $25 product. If you don't have an iPod handy, two presses
of the VW logo will cue a built-in hip hop-style music track which will set things
in motion. And for those times when you'd rather no one else heard your music
(or more likely, you'd rather not hear your kid's music), a second tailpipe plug
allows the iPod's earbuds to be connected for private listening.

Some
users may be disappointed to find that for all the hydraulic action, the Beetle
doesn't actually move forward or backward from where it's sitting. But seeing
how it's designed to have an iPod hooked up to it, that's probably a good thing;
no one wants to see their iPod dragged around behind a car, no matter its size.
While we'd like to see the audio quality upped just a wee bit, there's really
very little here not to like, and plenty to be attracted to. Children in particular
are likely to be enthused by the idea of being able to listen to their iPod (without
having the wear earbuds) while being presented with a visual representation of
the music. And it's a must for Beetle enthusiasts as well.